Pneumatic piano-actuating valve.



W. A KRUCK.

PNEUMATIC PIANO ACTUATING VALVE. APPLICATION FILED Aurina. ma.

1,249,777. Patented De@.'11,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

The upper portion D of the casing incloses the valve and its seat, and, it will be observed in the drawing that the upper edge of the portion D is turned inwardly and downwardly, andthe portion of the edge thus turned is marked O. The lower edge of the part O is spanned by a relatively nar'- row cross piece or guide P, and through the middle of the guide P the upper end of the piston rod L passes.y That part of the rod which passes through the guide P is, as shown, above the valve J.

It will ybe now observed from the drawing Y that the upper portion D of the casing has an opening QJV in its side that registers with a like opening R in the bed block E, and with the block tube 7' in the front board F. The block tube 1' communicates with the block tube S inthe horizontal board b, and' the tube S opens into the pneumatic or bellows G which operates the piano action.

In the operation `of this invention, as long as the note sheet a covers the tracker duct, the parts remain at rest. The admission of air through the note sheet will forceV the piston upwardly raising the valve against the lower edge of the turned-down portion O of the upper portion D of the casing, the

` edge being an upper seat for the valve, and,

thepneumatic is placed in communication with the channel n, and immediately operates the piano action.

Now, considering Figs. 3 and 4L, it will be noted that the part which may be termed the valve board, is a composite piece, and is made up of the front board F upon which the controlling valves are directly secured,

and a back board T, with intervening strips U, V, 1V, and w, arranged lengthwise asindicated in Fig. 3. The arrangement of the strips described results in thelengthwise suction channels such as the channel n.

It will be observed in Fig. 3, that the controlling valves are not only arranged upon the valve board with their laxes inclined to the vertical, but that. the valves are not placed .one directly below another. In other words, the axes of the valves, inclined as stated, are parallel with each other and separated by a small interval. Thus, the middle points of the valves lie in an inclined line. It will be understood also that there are horizontal rows of valves upon the valve Y width in the construction of the valve board,

which is the object sought, and a feature of conslderable advantage inA this invention.

By inclining the valves, the perpendicular distance on the valve board between the openingsL and Q in the valve casing is shorter than if the valves were vertical.

Therefore, a saving in width of the board is effected. Again, when the valves are inclined, the straps e that hold them incline to an assumed horizontal line running lengthwise of the board, and do not, as shown, extend along such line to the same distance as if they werenot inclined. A saving in the length of the valve board results.

The horizontal board b that is joined to and supports the pneumatic G, does not directly connect with the back board T of the composite valve board, but is joined to theV block s, usually square, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5, and of which there may be any desired number. It is customary in practice, after passing the tubeB, and its fellows not shown, through the valve board, to run them upward behind the valve boardbetween blocks s, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having now described thisinvention and explained the mode of its operation, what I claim is 1. A valve device, comprising a casing having hollow upper and lower portions provided with side openings, a co-uplingportion having a central opening and constructedto connect the said upper and lower portions and provided with a valve seat located in the said upper portion of the-casing when the portions are connected by the said coupling, the upper portion of the casing being made in one piece and having its upper edge extending inwardly and downwardly form-- ing a valve seat below the top of. the casing and above the said seat on the said coupling,.a piston movable in the lower portion of the casing, a valve controllingthe said seats, and a rod connecting the said'va'lve and piston. f

2. A valve device, comprising a vcasing having upper and lower portions provided with side openings, a coupling portion having` a central opening and constructed to connect the said upper Vand lower-portions and provided witha valve seat located in 'the said upper portion of the casing when the portions are connected by the saidcoupling, the upper portion of the Vcasingbeing made in one piece and having its edge extending inwardlyand downwardly and diametrically connected by a cross-piece integral with the said edge, the said inwardly and :downwardly extended edge forming a valve seat arranged' above the Vsaid seat Vin the said coupling, a piston movable in the lower portion of the casing, avalve controlling the said seats, and a rod connecting the valve and piston, the said rod passing through and being guided by the cross-piece.

3. The combination with a plurality of rows of valves, of a. valve board having a dierent channel from that connected with either of the other rows of valves.

4. The combination with a plurality of rows of valves, of a valve board having a number of channels extending lengthwise oi' the board, the said valves being arranged upon the board at dierent distances from the longitudinal edges of the board, and each valve having its axis inclined to the said edges of the board, and each row of valves being connected with a different channel from that connected with either of the other rows of valves.

5. In a player piano, a vertically disposed board adapted to be positioned in the front of the piano in advance of the hammer actions and having a reservoir adapted tobe connected to a source of pneumatic power, said board being free of pneumatic controlling mechanism, banks of pneumatics carried on the rear face of said board and operatively connected to said actions and banks of valvular pneumatic controlling elements mounted on the front face of said board and controlling the passage of air between said reservoir and said pneumatics, said board having ports communicating with said elements and with said reservoir, each of said elements being individually removable from the front face of said board whereby convenient access is obtained to the ports covered by any one of the elements without disturbing the other elements.

6. In a player piano having a series of hammer actions, a unitary structure comprising a board having a compartment adapted to be connected to a source of pneumatic power, banks of pneumatics mounted on one face of said board and adapted to be brought thereby into operative relation to said hammer actions, corresponding banks of valvular elements removably mounted on the opposite face thereof, each element controlling the passage of the power from said compartment to one of said pneumatics.

7. In a player piano, a tension box comprising three iiat boards each having transverse openings bored entirely therethrough, certain openings in the inner board constituting a vacuum reservoir, certain openings in one of the outer boards communicating directly with said vacuum reservoir and certain other openings in all three boards constituting a passageway through the box and adapted to place a pneumatic in fluid communication with its controlling valvular element.

S. A piano action comprising a tension box in the form of a flat board having a compartment contained therein and adapted to be connected to a source of pneumatic power, a conduit leading from said compartment to one side of the box, said box having al second conduit with one end disposed adjacent thel outer end of the first named conduit, and extending through said box to the opposite side, a valvular element containing all the means necessary for controlling the vpassage of air through said two conduits, said ,element being demountably affixed to the tension box and covering the outer ends of said conduits.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y WALTER A. Kiwok.

Witnesses:

HORACE R. GEORGE, G. TERRY.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

